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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25519081">Little Tree</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randomness_Ensue/pseuds/Randomness_Ensue'>Randomness_Ensue</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Ninja's mental health is much more different than a Civilians, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Attempted Sexual Assault, Child Soldiers, Civilians are treated different, Dark, Gen, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Moral Dilemmas, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paranoia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, REWRITTEN(WILL DELETE TAG ONCE CAUGHT UP), Realism, References to Depression, Reincarnation, Slow Build, Suicidal Thoughts, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships, anger issues, headcanons, where actions have real consequences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:48:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25519081</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randomness_Ensue/pseuds/Randomness_Ensue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He was no one worth mentioning or knowing, he was just there. </p><p>He was born in poverty, which made him even more worthless.</p><p>He lived in a horrible, terrible world, filled with even more horrendous, terrible people. Politics and backstabbers all around.</p><p>He was good at promises. He promised to never lie to Kaa-san. He promised to Tou-san to always be respectful. He promised them both to never go further beyond the forest. He always kept his promises.</p><p>He was good at promises until he was not. </p><p>He was a quiet kid who knew a bit about the adult mechanics of the world. But he was only a child.</p><p>The world was a massive forest fire and he was just a weed in it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neji Hyuuga &amp; Oc, OC &amp; OC, onesided relationships</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sapling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ichika put the kettle on the stove. </p><p>The stove was a small, old thing. It was rusty and busted up in a few places, and had a couple of stains. That was alright, the stove still did its job. </p><p>She added a bit more wood to the firebox. </p><p>It was winter, which meant they couldn’t plant any crops unless they wished for them to perish. Akio was out, helping the other men in their town cut down trees for lumber. It was hard, dirty work as the town didn’t have a lot of the proper tools for chopping down trees.</p><p>It being winter meant no income for them as Akio and Ichika live off their yearly harvests. Akio would get little to no payment from cutting down trees with the other men in their town. That was why they usually started stocking up before winter hit.</p><p>Their resources were usually enough as they were only two people. That made them more fortunate than the other families as they usually had more family members. </p><p>In the harsher winter months, the more elderly of the townsfolk would pass on as the town didn’t have enough resources to accommodate everyone. Newborns would sometimes not make it.</p><p>It was often common for people to die of starvation from the lack of food. People would end up dying of the cold because they didn’t stock up on lumber or had the proper supplies. Her mother died because of the cold when she was younger.</p><p>Ichika would try her best to save up money and food every year for them to survive. It was always enough for the two of them. She would always fight tooth and nails to keep their supplies safe from thieves’ hands. Ichika didn’t share.</p><p>Akio had a kinder heart than she as he would try to share the few things that they had.</p><p> ‘ There are people who don’t even have rice!’ he would argue. <br/> ‘ We barely have enough for us,’ she would snap back.</p><p>Akio was extremely compassionate. Ichika loved him for it, but he was too giving. Every year it was the same, Akio sneaking off some food to other families and Ichika rationing whatever he gave away. They would often argue about what they had.</p><p>However, this year was different, this year they have a son. </p><p><br/>Ichika glanced at the kettle, it was starting to bubble. She leaned back against the counter.</p><p> Ichika had always been fascinated with the meanings of words. The town’s education system wasn’t all that great, but Ichika, as a child, always scoured over the small library in the schoolhouse, trying to learn new words. </p><p>She did her best to learn Kanji. There weren’t that many great sources nor were any of the teachers certified. Unfortunately,  Kanji was for nobles; Kanji is for the elites. It was a symbol of status so to speak.</p><p>The town, Takko, was too poor to ever be considered important. Takko was so bathed in poverty that they couldn’t even afford to buy new books. They could barely afford resources. </p><p>She only ever learned a handful of Kanji. This was due to her dedication to learning, she was quite desperate back then. She wanted to escape poverty, she wanted to be more than a country bumpkin. Ichika even stole books from the few mercenaries that came by, those excursions were sometimes successful.</p><p>Ichika remembered how she used to bug Makoto-san, who was one of the more literate elders, to teach her more words. She only ever learned Hiragana and most of the Katakana writing system. </p><p>Ichika didn’t escape the clutches of her poor, miserable life, no matter how hard she tried. Ichika wanted to be a scholar who taught at the Daimyo’s palace or maybe a poet. </p><p>She was so heartbroken that she couldn’t make it, but she wasn’t surprised.</p><p>Hardly anyone made it out of poverty in the town. <br/>Why would she be any different than the others who tried so hard to make it and failed?</p><p>At least she has found a family with Akio.<br/>She has her son. A son! Ichika couldn’t believe it.</p><p>He was born in spring. It wasn’t at the beginning of spring, like most of the other children were born, it was during the travel season. The travel season, which she believed was somewhere around May, was when more mercenaries would come and when more people traveled through the town.</p><p><br/>Most of the children were born in spring for convenience. If they were born during summer or fall, they would most likely not make it through the winter. Her son himself was around 8 months old, therefore having better chances of surviving the cold than a 2 or 4-month-old baby.</p><p>Her son was currently being swaddled in blankets in his cot.<br/>He was too small for a baby and many of the women in town believed he would not make it through the winter. </p><p>Ichika believes he will make it, she’ll make sure of it. She won’t lose him, not again after the fright he gave her. </p><p>-</p><p>When her son was born, the midwife delivering believed he was stillborn. He wouldn’t move or cry. His little body was limp. Ichika could remember her terror as she stared at his tiny body.</p><p>He was declared dead.</p><p>Until he gave a big gasp and started crying.</p><p>Oh, how joyful Ichika was! She was crying tears of happiness. The midwife was speechless, this has never happened before.</p><p>The crying was horrendous however, it sounded like he was dying.</p><p>It was worrying.<br/> <br/>After her son calmed down, it was time to name him. The midwife was still not over her shock as she let Akio enter the room. He was clutching a small sheet of paper and a pen.</p><p> “Are you ok? Oh my- is it him, oh it’s him right? Let me hold him!”</p><p>Ichika chuckled, “Hold on, hold on! Be careful, give me a sec.”</p><p>Her husband, Akio, was holding him, eyes full of wonder. Ichika remembered how much Akio wanted a child. </p><p> “Can I name him? Please, let me do so!”</p><p>Ichika was fine with it as long as it wasn’t anything stupid. She told him so.</p><p> “How about Haru? Doesn’t that mean ‘child born in spring’?” he asked.</p><p>Ichika rolled her eyes, “Nearly every child here is born in spring, be a little more creative.”</p><p> “My name supposedly means a bright man. Yours is ‘a thousand flowers’ right? Let’s go for a plant theme then! How about Hana? That means flower.”<br/> <br/>“Isn’t that a girl’s name? I have a pen and paper here, to write out the name, not something he’ll get bullied for.”</p><p>Akio frowned, “How about Daiki then? Doesn’t that one mean big tree?”<br/> <br/>“It could mean that yes, it depends on the Kanji you write.”<br/> <br/>“Can you write it then? It makes sense, doesn’t it? He has my hair too!”</p><p>The newborn had a small wisp of green-colored hair, just like Akio. It would be somewhat fitting to name him after a tree. She could write it, she remembered the Kanji for it.</p><p> “Why ‘big tree’ though? There are other names with a tree in it,” Ichika remarked.</p><p>Akio smiled, “Well, he’s a sapling right now, but with loving care, he’ll grow into a big tree. He’ll be a great man. He’ll do great things and be the best!”</p><p> “He’s a baby, not one of your plants in the garden!”<br/> <br/> “It’s nearly the same thing! I have to love and care for them! Oh, oh- nurture ‘em too!”</p><p>Ichika grinned too, it was so sappy, but that was what she loved about Akio. </p><p> “Alright, his name will be Daiki.”</p><p> “It does match with our last name, ‘peaceful hill’, ” she added, “ a big tree in the middle of a peaceful hill.”</p><p>With that Ichika wrote down the Kanji for Daiki’s name on paper:</p><p>大樹</p><p>Akio was wearing that stupid grin of his. He stared lovingly at Daiki’s little pink face as he cooed at him.</p><p> “Oh- you’ll grow into the finest tree ever!”</p><p>-</p><p>Daiki was weird for a newborn. </p><p>He wouldn’t sniffle or sob; other babies would gurgle or cry, but Daiki never did. It was great that he wouldn’t cry, she was not saying it wasn’t, but weren’t babies supposed to, well, shed tears every once in a while? </p><p>Sometimes she wished he would just cry. It was unnatural, Daiki just ate and slept. He wouldn’t gurgle or coo like a regular baby. </p><p>Perhaps she should give it time.</p><p>Oh well.</p><p>The water in the kettle was boiling, Ichika moved it over and poured steaming hot water into her cup.</p><p>Akio should be coming home soon. Maybe he would then tell her why there was a bit of rice missing from the sack. They need to save food more now, as they have another little mouth to feed.</p><p>Ichika grabbed some of the freshly ground tea she made yesterday and stirred it in the hot water. </p><p>She was so glad she picked the tea leaves when it was still Spring. She was even happier that Akio grew some more types of tea leaves this year. Tea prices were rising in the markets right now and they couldn't afford much of it.</p><p>Ichika sighed and grabbed her cup of tea and sat down at the tea-table.</p><p>Daiki should still be sleeping, he’ll make it through Winter; she would rather die than let him die, right along with Akio. She should have a while before he wakes up.</p><p>She took a sip. She felt the warmth spread throughout her body.</p><p>Tea time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn't like the first two chapters, so I decided to rewrite them.<br/>Sorry if it's late, school has been kicking my ass.</p><p>This is a very slow build, it may also get very dark. </p><p>This is a CHARACTER DRIVEN story, not a plot-driven one.</p><p>As always, criticism and comments are welcome. Might be crossposting this to Fanfiction.net.<br/>Stay safe everyone :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sapling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> “Oh, hello there Daiki-kun,” the old woman smiled.</p><p>Daiki just nodded. </p><p> “Forgive him Yamamoto-san, he doesn’t know how to talk just yet,” Akio apologized.</p><p> “Oh, it’s quite alright Hiraoka-san,” Yamamoto-san rebuffed,” I would be surprised if he could talk! Oh, how old is he?”<br/> <br/> “Daiki is about a year and a half!” Akio cheerfully said,” He was born in the last spring season.”</p><p>The old woman frowned, “But why is he here with you? Shouldn’t he be with your wife?”</p><p>Akio could understand her confusion. Fathers hardly ever took care of their children as those duties went to the mother. The only time fathers ever took care of their children was to teach them how to work in the fields.</p><p>Akio didn’t want to be like that. He wanted to be as much a parent to his son as Ichika. </p><p>  “I’m giving Ichika her well-deserved break! I’m spending time with Daiki-chan over here.”</p><p>Yamamoto-san hummed, “ Oh, that’s so nice of you Akio-san! But, those are women's duties, not men’s duties. Your wife should know better than to distract her husband while he should be working.”</p><p>He gritted his teeth, but still smiled at her, “I wanted to spend time with my son, and what’s wrong with that?”</p><p> "Isn't it still spring season? Why aren't you taking advantage of it?"</p><p>Her words held truth. If he didn't plant all that he can during the spring, then he would suffer the consequences of not doing so.</p><p> "Well, it's still morning, isn't it? I can still be productive later, right?"</p><p>The conversation was heading towards dangerous territory. Fortunately, the old bat realized this too.</p><p>She smiled again, this time it was brittle, “Of course."</p><p> Yamamoto-san looked slightly nervous, Akio couldn't blame her. It was either starting an argument and pay for overpriced medicine or keep her silence and pay for it at a cheaper price.</p><p>Akio would rather not have to withhold medicine from anyone, but his family came first. It was only kindness that he sold herbs at a cheaper price instead of hoarding it all to himself. Medicine in any form was worth an arm and leg in the markets nowadays.</p><p>"I hope you and Daiki-kun have fun. Oh, and thank you for bringing those herbs for back pain. Good day.”</p><p>She made her decision it seemed. A wise choice, but he doubted she changed her mind about what his wife should be doing.</p><p> “No problem, I like helping people out. Good day to you too,” Akio stiffly said as he was handed a couple of ryō.</p><p>Yamamoto’s door closed rather harshly.</p><p>Akio let out the breath he was holding. Daiki was staring at the door, quiet as ever. The town was rather old fashioned in their beliefs. He loved the town as much as the next person, but it could be quite ignorant. Not that the next person ever did in the first place.</p><p>He sighed, “Well, Daiki, she was quite… the lady. That’s ok, of course, not her fault she’s close-minded.”</p><p>Daiki was still silent. He was staring at him, it would be unnerving if Akio wasn’t used to it. Daiki still hasn’t uttered a single word yet. He would sometimes grunt or hum, but it was rare.</p><p>Akio didn’t mind it. To be honest, it reminded him slightly of Ichika, he thought as he and Daiki headed back home.</p><p>The trip wasn’t very long. Akio observed a small house he called home. It was old and rather small. It was sturdy however, generations of the Hiraoka family lived there perfectly fine. So will future generations. </p><p>He headed towards the backyard with Daiki in his arms.</p><p>Ichika was always the quiet, studious type. It drew Akio in the way she had answers to everything. She would sometimes be cold to the other people that spoke to her. She kept everyone at arm’s length. </p><p>That didn't stop Akio or other suitors from going after her. At least he was more respectful about it.</p><p>Of course, after she would let her walls down, she was surprisingly loud. Ichika had quite the temper and would be very cutting with her words. She was a great person in Akio’s opinion. She was never as quiet as Daiki is, however.</p><p>Akio tried his best to sound excited.</p><p> “Daiki, I’m going to show you how to transplant a potted plant into the soil once we get home. Oh, don’t give me that face. It’ll be fun!” </p><p>Daiki’s pudgy face showed no emotion as Akio said this. </p><p>Akio was a chatterbox. He was always talking as he didn’t like silence. It reminded him of things he would not like to remember. Ichika and Daiki were naturally quiet, but that was ok. They didn’t seem to mind him rambling on about things.</p><p>Akio set Daiki down at the spot where they would start plotting the saplings. He pulled out the potted plants, which were sprouts, and shovels out of the little shed connected to their house.</p><p>The old woman was right, he did need to start planting, but Akio really wanted some time to bond with his son. Surely he can do both.</p><p>He grinned at the view of his garden. If there was one thing that could rival his love for Ichika and Daiki, it was his love for plants.</p><p>His mom also loved plants, everyone in his family before him did. It was almost destiny that every single one of Akio’s family members had a green thumb. Any seed or cuttings they planted, grew without fail. Somehow, anything they cultivated grew even faster and bigger than normal.</p><p>Akio crouched down with Daiki and showed him the plant. He set down the shovel he had in his other hand.</p><p> “Ok Daiki, I got you a shovel. Now that I think about it, you probably wouldn’t be able to lift it huh? That’s ok, we’ll use our hands!” </p><p>Daiki crouched down with his pudgy little hands out. </p><p>Akio laughed as he said, “Hold on Sapling, we have to wait a bit. I have to get the sprouts out of the pots first.”</p><p>Akio had gotten into the habit of calling Daiki ‘sapling’. It made perfect sense to him as Daiki meant ‘big tree’ and he was a baby, so he was technically a sapling, right? Ichika had called him an idiot when he first came up with it, but Ichika would sometimes call Daiki that when he wasn’t looking. </p><p>Of course, Akio noticed when she did.</p><p>Akio grabbed the sprouts and took it out of the pot, “ You see, the roots are still dangling so you have to be careful to not rip ‘em apart. We have to dig out a hole where we’ll place the sprouts.”</p><p>He handed the sprout to Daiki and cupped his own hands to show Daiki how to do it.</p><p> “Grab it with both hands ok? Like this, perfect! I’ll dig out the hole for you. Be careful.”</p><p>Daiki wasn’t paying attention to Akio. Daiki was staring at the sprouts in his hands with a strange expression on his face.</p><p> Akio smiled fondly at him.</p><p> “Hold on, hold on. Ok, the place where I dug the hole...yes like that!”</p><p>With shining eyes, Daiki placed the plant down. </p><p> “Ok, so now we have to pat it down with the soil I made with the rotten food. Yes that, Daiki, don’t look at me like that. Grab a bit, not too much, good, good.”</p><p>Daiki patted the soil down with his pudgy hands and Akio started planting the rest of the sprouts.</p><p>Akio was startled when he heard a giggle. He turned to Daiki. Daiki was smiling and giggling. It was the first emotion he’s seen on Daiki since, well, ever. </p><p>His little Sapling was patting the sprout down with such gusto. He had the biggest grin and laughed as he looked at the plant.<br/> <br/>Akio smiled at the sight. Seemed like Daiki liked plants too. He took a break and wiped his brow. He should hurry up, spring was the ideal time for planting seeds, and it was nearly over.</p><p>He grabbed a shovel and started digging.</p><p>Akio stared at his garden. It technically wasn’t one. Gardens were neat and had koi ponds. His garden was the opposite. There were herbs near the porch and vegetables near the shed. The tea plants were near the front of the house. There was no koi pond.</p><p>He loved working on it however, he felt a little bit more energized each time he spent time there. It was like, like...well he doesn’t know, but it felt natural.</p><p>His garden was one of his proudest achievements.</p><p>It would be nice if people stopped stealing from it each harvest season.</p><p>If they would just ask, maybe he would give them what they need. But no, each harvest season, thieves steal from his vegetable patch. </p><p>He dug faster.</p><p>Each harvest season there would be trampled roots and squashed pumpkins. He couldn't do anything about it as he doesn’t know who was stealing and it would cost too much money to build a gate around the garden. </p><p>It made him more sad than angry.</p><p>Sad because it was poverty that made people resort to stealing. Sad because he made money off those plants. He helped run a vegetable stand with Taro-san and half of the products are from the garden. </p><p>Of course, he gets angry, all his hard work is spat on when people just invade his garden and ruin everything.</p><p>Trampled tomatoes, smashed squash, broken leaf stems. Medicinal herbs were just gone.</p><p>His work, his parent's work, and everyone else before them, all of their hard work on the garden was just ignored by the greedy, desperate, <em>hungry</em> people.</p><p>He was the breadwinner of the house. He got money off working in the fields, of course, nearly every able-bodied man did. But, his garden was one of his main sources of income. Akio's family needs that money as there's only so much you can eat off the garden, especially with thieves around. </p><p>Even then, selling his harvest each year at the stand was just a part-time job. He had to work in the town's wheat field.</p><p>Akio's garden may not be much, but it was his and he'll be damned if he would just sit there and take it.</p><p>One of his greatest fears would be that they would run out of the money they saved over the years. They kept being taxed a lot, and there was nearly nothing the town leader could do about it. Last month they had to pay 400  ryō and a pound of rice to their Daimyo. Tax collectors came by the town every two months to pick up the debt and those who didn't pay up had to give up furniture for compensation. </p><p>There were usually Samurai that accompanied them and helped them pick up furniture. They inspired fear. </p><p>It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, <em>it was fair</em>, his hand trembled. Too much each month, can't they see how much they don't have? The taxes kept rising, he doesn't know how much more they will be able to pay.</p><p>Why do they not help them instead of taking away what little they have?</p><p>He shouldn't be angry, no, he shouldn't. It's- it's not their fault, he knows. They are just doing their job. He knows that, so why does he feel mad?</p><p>Poverty in the town was caused by the last two wars. They were fine before but-</p><p>Akio felt something tugging his shirt. Daiki had stopped giggling and was staring quietly at him. Akio let go of the shovel, which he was gripping very tightly.</p><p>He had dug quite a deep hole.</p><p> “Oh, sorry Sapling. I was just thinkin’, everything’s fine,” he sheepishly said.</p><p>Daiki kept staring.</p><p> “Seriously Daiki, nothing's wrong. Why don’t you grab me that sprout right next to ya?”</p><p>Daiki got up and toddled over to the sprouts which were not right next to him.</p><p>Akio's anger left him just as quickly as it came. He doesn't like getting mad. It would be better to focus on something else.</p><p>He gazed at Daiki, he seemed to have noticed that Akio was upset. That was strange as he usually hid it well.</p><p>Sometimes Akio thought Daiki was more self-aware than he let on. He would sometimes just stare at Akio and Ichika with confusion in his eyes. </p><p>He would seem to understand them, but there were times where he wouldn’t at all.</p><p>He was too quiet and there was something just… off about him. There is some sort of self-awareness feeling around him that just isn’t there with other children. It was unnerving at times. </p><p>He would confide these thoughts with Ichika, but she would scoff and call him delusional. </p><p>Maybe he was, he mused as he saw Daiki dragging the sprouts over, he could be overreacting. Akio hadn’t had a good night's sleep in a while.</p><p>Spring was not yet over, he still had time to plant more. It was nearly noon, he could have finished hours ago if he hadn’t decided to mope around a bit. </p><p>He sighed as he thanked Daiki for bringing the sprouts over. Akio handed Daiki another sprout to plant. </p><p>Akio moved his hair out of his face. The curly, dark green hair was one of his finest features in his opinion. It was hard to maintain, however. </p><p>He was getting off track.</p><p>Maybe if he tried being positive, there wouldn't be any thieves this year. Maybe the Daimyo would feel generous enough to not tax them too much.</p><p> “Ok, gotta focus! Let’s finish this before nightfall,” Akio exclaimed,” If I just get distracted, I won’t get anywhere!”</p><p>Daiki glanced at Akio briefly before he resumed patting down the soil where he planted the sprout.</p><p>He was smiling at the plant. He had returned to his usual quiet self.</p><p>Akio grinned at Daiki. Yeah, Daiki was just shy, that’s all. Nothing weird about it. It's probably a stage he'll grow out of.</p><p>He coughed. </p><p>He had to work a lot in the fields, right along with many other men and teenage boys. Sometimes he was lucky enough and would pick the most wheat and take home extra money.</p><p>Not that it was any better. </p><p>They were paid minimum wage. The town-owned the field and some merchants came by to buy the wheat to sell it elsewhere.</p><p>It took a lot to travel to the fields too, around half an hour-long walk to get there and an hour-long walk back.</p><p>He didn't really have enough time to work on his garden as much as he liked.</p><p>Akio squinted at the sun. It seemed like it was going to cloud over later, he should hurry up and finish just in case it rains.</p><p>He and Ichika had to save up money for the next time the tax collectors came; he was worried, of course, as last time they could barely pay up.</p><p>He should stop worrying. That'll be bad for his health.</p><p>Akio should start hoping instead. Maybe give himself something to look forward to.</p><p>Well, then.</p><p><em>Hopefully</em>, Ichika will make Dango today. It's been a while since he ate something sweet. A very long time.</p><p>Even if Ichika didn't make Dango, which was likely, her food was still the best.</p><p>Hopefully, he'll finish planting before it clouds over.</p><p>With that in mind, Akio grabbed the shovel and began digging again with new filled determination.</p><p>Yes, he'll race against the clouds! He'll finish his work here and be inside with Daiki just before it starts raining. If it would rain, of course.</p><p>Daiki was digging another hole, oblivious to Akio's sudden bout of childish enthusiasm. </p><p>Back to work it seemed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This will be a slow build. This also has slow updates. I am drowning in school work. I'll try to post as much as I can.</p><p>If you have any headcanons or ideas you may want to see, post em in the comments. Doesn't mean I'll do em tho.</p><p>You know that 'This might get real dark' tag? Yeah well, guess what? It's definitely going to get dark.<br/>Don't worry this is one of the lighthearted chapters. </p><p>Please pay attention to any details in the story, it might come into importance later.</p><p>Please point out any grammar, spelling, and any other mistakes you might see in the story. I don't have a Beta.</p><p>Comments and criticism are welcome.</p><p>:)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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